Hong Kong Visas Made Easy

What Is the Bare Minimum Income & Accommodation Arrangements to Suitably Sponsor a Hong Kong Dependant Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Your Question Answered / 130 responses

Today’s question relates how the Hong Kong Immigration Department respond to requests for dependant visas from permanent resident sponsors, particularly those families who are relocating back to Hong Kong some years after the marriage commenced overseas.

QUESTION

Thank you for your wonderful website!

My wife and I are planning on applying for a Dependant visa for me. She a Hong Kong born and raised native. I am Danish.

We have been married for four years, she is returning to Hong Kong after living in Denmark for four years.

My question has two parts.

Should we file yet, and what sort of income does my wife need to qualify as my sponsor? We don’t want to file now if that means being turned down and creating a poor record and history for us. 

Before moving her Hong Kong Immigration said we could file for a Dependent visa with me on a Visitor visa. But after reading your and other available materials I think I might need to hold off filing because my wife has not yet found what I believe to be a “qualifying” job. 

I have read the approvability test about “above the sustenance level” and have tried to research what does that mean exactly, but it’s still vague to me, and it seems to depend upon ones circumstances.

Right now we have a “roof over our heads”, are living with her mom who owns the apartment. Her family paid off the mortgage years ago.

But I think she also needs a full time job with a specific minimum level of Income to qualify as my sponsor.

At the moment, while she searches for a full time position, she has a temporary part time job for as long as she wants it. She earns $12,000 HKD/month from that.

As far as assets, she has a substantial number of insurance policies with guaranteed cash values, but no bank account savings. She is also is a percentage owner in one of the family apartments.

So my question is, given this financial picture, do we stand any chance of currently qualifying?

If not, what kind of minimum income would be needed to be able to pass the financial approvability test?

Many thanks.

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PODCAST ANSWER

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Married to a PHKID Card Holder Overseas – the Hong Kong Visa Situation for the Foreign National Spouse

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Your Question Answered / 11 responses

Married to a PHKID Card Holder Overseas – There is quite a lot of confusion surrounding the question of immigration status in Hong Kong for foreign nationals who married their permanent ID card holder spouses overseas and who now wish to move to Hong Kong.

 

This question, just in, provides an opportunity to clear it up once and for all. In the PodCast answer I refer to this DEPENDANT VISA INFORMATION resource.

QUESTION

“I am French and currently living in France.  My wife is from Hong Kong and holds a Permanent Hong Kong ID card. We were officially married in 2009 in France but have not registered our marriage in Hong Kong in any official way.

I would like to know, will it be possible if I arrive in Hong Kong in October of this year I can register our marriage in some way and then get a Hong Kong ID card or can I apply to work in Hong Kong in some other way?

And what kind of documents will I need and what is the time line to finish all of this?”

More Stuff to Help You Along

What Hong Kong visa options exists for unmarried trailing partners?

Blended, unmarried, non-traditional family with school age children – what Hong Kong visa choices exist?

What are your visa options if your marriage in Hong Kong has irretrievably broken down?

I have a PRC national spouse resident on the mainland – can she get a dependant visa for Hong Kong?

The vexed question of Hong Kong visas for Chinese national spouses resident on the Mainland

PODCAST ANSWER

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How Can I Extend My Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa Easily Without Needing To Supply My Financial Performance Details Every Year?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

Since the Audit Commission Report Number 66 published in April of 2016, Hong Kong entrepreneur visa holders subject to a review of their business each time they seek to extend their stay, have got more of the same coming…

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy:

This piece’s discussion of moving from the rigorous “business review” track to a routine “administrative extension” must now be read with the understanding that ImmD’s post-approval oversight has tightened considerably. The threshold to escape ongoing departmental audit is no longer basic operational survival or marginal year-on-year revenue growth. Because ImmD has aligned its benchmark of commercial substance with TTPS Category A operational capacity, an entrepreneur cannot expect a frictionless administrative extension unless the enterprise demonstrates continued employment of 2 to 3 local permanent residents on active MPF-compliant payroll, maintains a dedicated commercial lease (“four walls”), and shows genuine fiscal integration into the domestic economy rather than offshore revenue routing.

QUESTION

Hi there,

It’s time for my Hong Kong entrepreneur visa renewal and I’m confused as to whether it is under the ‘General Employment’ section or not? I have a small business that allows me to freelance for one specific company. Is that General Employment?

For the last two years I have submitted an ID 91 form and subsequently had financial statements/business purpose outlines and more evidence of my contribution to Hong Kong along with staffing plans, etc. This will now be the third time that I’ve renewed and I’m wondering if there is anything I can do to simplify the process?

Many thanks,

ANSWER

In an business investment (entrepreneur) visa scenario, ImmD have 2 extensions tracks:

1. Business review, and
2. Admin extension

From your profile it seems you are on the business review track.

Once on the business review track you stay on it until ImmD are satisfied at each extension of stay exercise that you are making a substantial contribution to the economy of Hong Kong. Since the Audit Commission Report Number 66 of April this year, this, for all practical purposes, means the creation of local jobs.

Once they are satisfied that the requisite contribution to the economy of Hong Kong is being made, they will move you off the business review track and onto the admin track. Only then will life get simpler for you. Essentially, by keeping you on the business review track, ImmD are reserving the right to assess your progress annually – so there’s not much you can do other than try to build the business and create local jobs.

It’s just a fact of immigration life these days I’m afraid.

More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting

What type of visa do you think you need for Hong Kong?

How can my FDH visa holding fiance transition into a  Hong Kong dependant visa 6-12 months before we are due to get married?

Do I automatically qualify for a Hong Kong dependant visa if my partner has a work or investment visa here?

Married to a PHKID card holder overseas – the Hong Kong visa situation for the foreign national spouse

How to cure your Hong Kong vise extension headache and make sure it gets approved the very first time!

Divorced? How Can You Prove That You Have Lawful Custody of Minor Children if You Wish to Bring Them to Hong Kong to Live With You?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Your Question Answered / 2 responses

In a blended family situation, the question often arises about how to secure Hong Kong immigration status for children from a previous relationship…

QUESTION

I’m a Korean married to a resident here, so eventually will have a dependant visa.

The question is, what is the process for getting a dependant visa for my 16-year old daughter from a previous marriage? 

We went to the Immigration Department and they asked for a “custody certificate?”

Where should and how should I get it? Please advise. Thank you very much.

More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting

Blended, unmarried, non-traditional family with school-age kids – what Hong Kong visa choices exist?

Hong Kong employment and same sex partner visas – a joint application strategy

Married to a PHKID card holder overseas – the Hong Kong visa situation for the foreign national spouse

My girlfriend is in detention prior to removal – if I marry her will she be able to get a Hong Kong dependant visa?

How to gee up a Hong Kong visa application that is taking a long time to process

PODCAST ANSWER

Podcast: Play in new window

The Experience of Being Denied Entry As A Visitor to Hong Kong

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Musing, Visitor Visas / 2 responses

The experience of being denied entry as a visitor to Hong Kong…

Got this email in over the weekend. Good to share:Hi,

I travelled to Hong Kong on 12th on a PAR from India.

The immigration officer asked me for the duration of my stay. I told her I am in hong kong for 10 days on a holiday.

She asked me the following then –

1) Hotel bookings for 10 days

2) Day wise itinerary for 10 days.

3) Cash I was carrying

I replied the following –

1) I had booking for two days. I told her I did not book for 10 days in advance as I was not sure if the hotel will be good. I’ll check it out for two days if I like i will extend my stay there or book another hotel for the remainder of my stay.

2) I told her the places I am interested in seeing however I did not have the day to day itinerary planned out.

3) I was carrying $4500 in cash & my debit card which had more than enough money to cover my expenses.

They did not tell me for which exact reason they sent me back. I was told I can come back at any time when I am better prepared.

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I Am Married to a PRC National and a Permanent Resident Here So How Can We Live Together in Hong Kong?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / 2 responses

What impact does being a Hong Kong permanent resident have on being married to a PRC national presently resident on the Mainland?

My friend is a British Passport Holder who is a Permanent Resident in Hong Kong for over 20 years

He married a mainland Chinese girl in Hong Kong and they now have a baby who was born in Hong Kong and now a British Passport Holder.

In what way can the wife apply for a dependent visa?  

The immigration rule says that mainland residents are not eligible to apply for this visa.

If my friend acquires Chinese Citizenship and gives up his British passport, can he then bring the wife to Hong Kong as a dependent?

 If not, what other ways?

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PODCAST ANSWER

Podcast: Play in new window

10 Steps to a Successful Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa Application – Step 10 – D-I-Y Application

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / No responses

On April 21, 2017 I gave a talk at WYND Co-working space in Lan Kwai Fong entitled 10 Steps to a Successful Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa Application.

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy:

Historically, this concluding installment in the 10-step series delivered a final, encouraging verdict on taking the do-it-yourself route for a Hong Kong investment as entrepreneur visa. The Geeza championed self-representation, asserting that hiring expensive immigration counsel or corporate service intermediaries was wholly unnecessary for an articulate, organized founder. ImmD was framed as a transparent and collaborative administrative body; as long as an applicant followed the procedural roadmap, drafted a coherent business plan, secured a serviced office address, committed modest initial working capital of a few hundred thousand dollars, and presented a credible narrative of gradual local hiring, a self-prepared application stood an excellent chance of securing approval through standard discretionary processing.

The game has changed from an empowering DIY project into an unforgiving corporate audit where unrepresented, lean applicants face immediate peril. Attempting a self-directed filing without substantial institutional infrastructure will now trigger summary refusal. Post-April 2026 administrative practice aligns entrepreneur adjudication strictly with TTPS Category A operational substance (~HKD 2.5M enterprise scale). ImmD no longer offers procedural patience or iterative back-and-forth guidance to help self-directed applicants nurse an undercapitalized venture across the line. A DIY applicant must independently substantiate hard operational hardware upfront: HKD 1.5M–2.0M in deployed corporate bank liquidity, an executed commercial lease for exclusive physical premises (“four walls”), and active MPF payroll contributions for 2–3 local permanent residents. Unless a founder has secured formal admission into an accredited government incubator (such as Cyberport or HKSTP), embarking on a DIY entrepreneur application today is a fast track to an abrupt administrative rejection.

This segment is Step 10 – D-I-Y Application

The Rest of the Series

Introduction

How We Got Here

Must Have Resources

The Startup Visa

Step 1 – Understand Policy

Step 2 – Do You Have a Visa Problem?

Step 3 – Are You An Employee?

Step 4 – A Substantial Contribution?

Step 5 – 3 Crucial Elements

Step 6 – Have You Got Enough $$?

Step 7 – A Properly Set Up Office

Step 8 – Creating Local Jobs

Step 9 – Economic Sector Advantages?

Step 10 – D-I-Y Application

DOWNLOADS

Presentation Slides

Accredited Startup Programmes in Hong Kong

 

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